Vine-stripping mechanism.



C. L. SLADINSKA. VINE STRIPPINGMECHANISM.

APPLICATION FILED AUG.Z9, 191 1. {565 RENEWED FEB. 27, 1917- PatentedAug. 21, 1917.

2 SHEETSSHEET l.

C. L. SLADWSKA.

VINE STRIPPING MECHANISM.

APPLICATlON FILED AUG-29. 191l- RENEWED FEB. 27. I917.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 21 (719 an r wwtnema 5, Patented Aug. 21, 1917.

To all whom it may concern:

CHARLES L. SLADINSKA, F FOUNTAIN CITY, WISCONSIN.

VINE-STRIP PING MECHANISM.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 21, 1917.

Application filed August 29, 1911, Serial No. 646,601. Renewed. February27, 1917. Serial No. 151,376.

Be it'known that I, CHARLES L. SLADIN- mm, a citizen of the UnitedStates, residing at Fountain City, in the county of Buffalo, State ofWisconsin, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inVineStripping Mechanism; and I do hereby declare the following to be afull, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enableothers skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use thesame.

This invention relates to vine stripping mechanisms. 1

The object of the invention resides in the provision of a vine strippingmechanism adapted to be associated with a potato digger for strippingthe vines from the potatoes after the latter have been delivered theretoby the elevator of the potato digger.

l/Vith the above and other objects in view the invention consists in thedetails of construction and in the arrangement and combination of partsto be hereinafter more a. in the appended claim.

fully described and particularly pointed out In describing the inventionin detail reference'will be had to the accompanying drawings, whereinlike characters of reference denote corresponding parts in the severalviews, and in which.

Figure 1 is a side elevation of a potato digger having the improved vinestripping mechanism associated therewith,

F ig. 2, a plan View of what is shown in Fig.3, a detail perspectiveview of the vine stripping mechanism removed,

F ig. 1, a detail'view showing the yielding brackets which support theupper, end of the cooperating pairs of rolls of the vine strippingmechanism.

Referring to the drawings, indicates an axle which has journaled on itsrespective ends'traction wheels 16 and 17. This axle 15 ,is provided;with an intermediate arched or Us haped portion including parallel arms18 and a connecting member 20. Pivotally mounted upon opposite ends ofthe axle 15 are the innerends of the arms of a forked draft bail 21,said bail carrying at its outer end a clevis 22 for the properconnection of the draft animal through the medium of which latter themachine is drawn along the ground. The axle is pro- I vided at each endpf the connecting member with lateral extensions 23 and 24 upon .erencethereto will .be made herein.

which extensions is supportedthe inner end of a frame A which includesside members 25 and 26 .and cross connecting members 27, 28 and 29.Supported by the cross connecting members 28, and 29 in any suitablemanner is the inner end of a tongue 30, while suitably supported uponthe cross member 27 is a seat 31' for the use of'the operator. Pivotallysupported upon opposite ends of the connecting member 20 is an elevatoror conveyer B which includes side members 39 and 10 between the lowerends of which latter is mounted a digging shovel adapted to enter thepotato hills as the machine is moved along the ground and force thepotatoes upon the conveyor 13. The detail construction of the conveyeror elevator B is fully described in my copending application filed March9, 1911, and serially numbered 613,301 and no extended ref- Journaledbetween the side members 39 and 40 at the upper end of the latter is ashaft 49 which has the end thereof adjacent the side member 40extended-and fixed upon this extension of the shaft 419 is a gear wheel77, while the extreme outer end of said extension has fixed thereon asprocket wheel 78 which is adapted for connection with a loading deviceor other mechanism when desired. Secured to'the outer faces of. the sidemembers 39 and 4-0 respectively are downwardly and rearwardly inclinedframe.

members 69and 70, the lower ends of which rest upon the upper edges ofadditional frame members 71 and 72, and the inner ends of these latterare securely bolted to the outer face of the side members 39 and 40respectively. Journaled between the frame members 69 and is a shaft -73which has the end thereof adjacent the member 69 extended and fixeduponthis extension is a sprocket wheel'74. The end of the shaft 73adjacent the frame member 70 is also extended, and fixed on thisextension is a gear wheel 76 which meshes with th gear wheel 77 on theshaft 19. 1

. The vine stripping mechanismproper includes bars 92 and'93, the formerof which connects the frame members 69 and 70 and the latter theframe-members 71 and 72, the bar 92being at a greater elevation than thebar 93 so as to position the vine stripping mechanism-at the properincline to deliver the potatoes to a sifting mechanism C. Mounted uponthe bar 92 are brackets 94 which are arranged in pairs, the outermostbracket of each pair being pivotally connected to the bar 92. Each pairof brackets 9a are connected together by means of a spring 95 wherebythe outermost bracket of each pair is yieldingly held against movementaway from theother bracket of said pair. Mounted upon the bar 93 arebrackets 96 arranged in pairs, the outermost bracket of each pair beingpivotally connected to the bar 93. Each pair of brackets 96 areconnected' together by means of a spring 97 whereby the outermostbracket 96 of each pair is yieldingly held against movement away fromthe other bracket of said pair. Journaled between corresponding brackets'94 and 96 are stripping rolls 98 which have their trunnions passingthrough the bracket 94-extended as at 99and mountedon each of theextensions 99 isabeveled gear 100. These beveled-gears 100 are disposedin proximity to the shaft 73 and mounted upon this shaft in meshrespectively with thebeveled gears 100 are beveled gears 101. Thesebeveledgears 101 are arranged in oppositely disposed pairs and theoutermost beveled gear of each pair is splineduponthe shaft *73. Inorder to move the outermost beveled gears 101 longitudinally of theshaft 73 in unison with the movement of the respective gears 100, theextended trunnions of the outermost stripping rolls=are-connected withthehub of the outermost beveled gears 101 by means of angle bars 102. 1

By this construction it will be apparent that as theoutermost strippingrolls 98 are moved away from their adjacent rolls the outermost beveled.gears 100 and;101 will move in unison by reasonof the fact that bothbeveled gears are connected with the trunnion extension 99. This unitarymovement-of the outermost beveled gears 100 and 101 will of coursealways maintain said gears ,in mesh and effect thecorrect operation ofconstru'ctedat its inner'end as to constitute to impart rotation totheclu'tch member 83 as desired. Fix'edup'on thisclutch member 83' is asprocket member 84: 'in alinement with the sprocket wheel 741F011 theshaft 73 and travelingon'sa id sprocket wheels 74 and 84:

- is a sprocket chain 85. The clutch member 83 is adapted to be throwninto and out of engagement with the hub of the traction wheel 16 bymeans of a hand lever 86 which is suitably connected to said clutchmember 83.

sprocket chain 85 and sprocket wheel 84 to the shaft '78,the rotationof'this last named shaft, through the medium-of the various connectionsheretofore described, serving to operate the vine stripping mechanismsoas to clear the potatoes delivered to the vine stripping mechanism bythe'conveyer 'B, of all foliage and earth. It will also be apparent thatthe rotation of the shaft 73 will by reasonof the gear connections 7 6and 7 7 rotate the shaft 49 and drive the elevator or conveyer B asfully described in'my copending application.

That is claimed is:

As an article of manufacture, a stripping mechanism for harvestingmachine compris ing a pair of parallel bars, a series of L- shapedbrackets mounted on one ofthe bars in-spaced series, each alternate oneof the brackets'being pivotally mounted on'the bar and each otheralternate one being rigidly secured thereto, vertical brackets mountedon the other of-the parallel bars, each alternate bracket beingpivotallymounted on the bar, each other alternate bracket being rigidly connectedthereto, a spring connecting'each rigid bracket with a pivotedbracket,stripping rollers rotatably mounted in their respective pairs of-L-shaped and vertical brackets, a drive shaft disposed in parallelrelation with the last named bar and having mounted thereon "slidableand rigid zpinions, the adjacent end of each of the said rollers havinga .pinion meshing with one of the pinions of the drive shaft,and meansloosely connecting each of the movable pinions to the pinion of thecorresponding roller whereby the'saidipinion'will'move when therollermoves.

In testimony whereof, I aiiix my signa-.

ture, inzpresence of two witnesses.

CHARLES L. ,SLADINSKA. Witnesses: 1

F. J. .FUGINA, MYRTLE 'SEHRLIOH.

copiesof this paltent'may ne obtained for *five'cen'ts each. byaddressing the Commissioner of Patents,

' Washington, D. 0.

